During the design of a motor vehicle, overall shape and dimensions of a vehicle body are defined. This determines a maximum amount of space available for each vehicle system and components to be installed in the motor vehicle.
HVAC systems such as air conditioning units generally require significant space for installation in the motor vehicle. It is desirable that the HVAC system geometry and position do not interfere with the vehicle's driver and passengers. For this reason, the HVAC system is often positioned in the instrument panel or front partition panel, which maximizes available foot space for the driver and front seat passenger.
Flat, modular HVAC systems have been used in order to optimally position HVAC systems within the motor vehicle. These types of HVAC systems also require significant mounting space in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle. One type of flat, modular HVAC system is described in Assignee's U.S. Pat. No. 7,735,330 to Richter et al., the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
There is a continuing need for a system and a method for supplementing at least one of a heating and a cooling of a passenger compartment in motor vehicle, particularly in which a primary heating and cooling is provided by the flat, modular HVAC system. Desirably, the system and the method supplement the heating and the cooling provided by the flat, modular HVAC system using available vehicle sources, and permits supplemental heating and cooling in only zones of the motor vehicle that are occupied.